The Trust Factor: Unlocking Philanthropy Through Physician Partnerships
- Pamela Ronka Maroulis, FAHP, CFRE
- Jun 18
- 3 min read
The most successful health care philanthropy programs build strategic partnerships with physicians to help yield grateful patient and family referrals. These partnerships do not happen overnight. They require accountability, shared values, respect and communication. In many ways, these partnerships mirror what we all do to build relationships with our major donors—develop trust with them. According to Merriam-Webster, the primary definition of trust is, “the assured reliance on the character, ability, strength or truth of someone or something; one in which confidence is placed.”¹ Take a moment to consider how trust can be built with your physician partners through the same methods you use in your major gift strategies—ensuring lasting relationships and a feeling of mutual benefit and success.
Once you have identified the physicians you wish to partner with, the trust-building commences. Just as you would with a major gift donor, take the time to get to know your physician ally. Demonstrate your understanding of the administrative, clinical, leadership, and research demands placed on them. Respect their time by keeping meetings efficient and short. Become a trustworthy colleague to their administrative staff, as they typically manage the calendar and daily priorities. If they like a particular Starbucks drink, consider bringing one along when you attend your regular check-in meetings. Briefly ask about their children, grandchildren and hobbies—the topics you know will make them smile and light up. Listen in addition to talking so you can learn their pain points, their visions and what is most important to them.
It is also important to consider the physician’s perspective on fundraising and its potential impact on their patients. Physicians will prioritize their patients’ well-being and health outcomes and could initially be hesitant to invite philanthropy into the relationship for fear their patients may be “exploited.” Just like with major gift donors, however, demonstrating the impact of philanthropy can be a powerful persuasion tool. Effective relationship building by philanthropy staff prioritizes patient well-being, demonstrating that philanthropy initiatives are aligned with clinical goals to achieve maximum impact. Begin with reassurance that the physician will not have to solicit their patients: “You wouldn’t want me scrubbing in for surgery, and I don’t expect you to ask for a gift.”
Additionally, ensure that your philanthropy team schedules education and training for all physician allies early in the process to help them understand the health benefits of expressing gratitude. Establish philanthropy as a core component of care services. Assisting patients in expressing gratitude is an integral part of the healing process and often a necessary step in recovery. As your collaborative efforts progress, share testimonials and stories from patients who have expressed their gratitude and wish for their physicians to know how grateful they are for the care they received. Always ask for permission before approaching a patient and thank them for their input and support of the partnership.
Once the physician partnership is established, ensure the relationship remains strong by maintaining transparency and effective communication. Shared accountability is critical. With input from your allies, set goals that can be measured and promote collaboration to ensure the model remains donor-centered and respectful of patients: “The goal is not to tell people to trust more, but just to be more trustworthy. Accountability is the mechanism if you want to get from point A to B when you’re looking to garner trust.”²
"The goal is not to tell people to trust more, but just to be more trustworthy. Accountability is the mechanism if you want to get from point A to B when you’re looking to garner trust."²
Respond promptly to questions and requests from your ally, showing your willingness to hold up your end of the partnership. It is also essential to follow up quickly with referrals (usually within a couple of days) to demonstrate how serious you are about the work you are doing together. Most importantly, if something does not go as planned, admit it and take steps to resolve issues.
As your physician allies share referrals and patients begin to express gratitude, celebrate those wins and give credit where it is due. As your partners experience success and see that philanthropy staff can be trusted, the partnerships will deepen, and further success will be achieved. Developing a grateful patient engagement strategy will help a philanthropy program establish best practices, but it cannot be done without the support of physician allies. Build trust with your physicians and watch the gratitude flow into your initiatives.
About the Author: Pamela Maroulis, FAHP, CFRE is President and Principal Consultant with Accordant, specializing in building relationships and helping donors support their passions. Pam can be reached at Pam@AccordantHealth.com or through LinkedIn.
Comments